Iron deficiency anemia can be treated or prophylactically treated by the application of medicaments containing iron. In this respect the use of iron carbohydrate complexes is known. A water soluble iron (III) hydroxide sucrose complex is a frequently and successfully used preparation (Danielson, Salmonson, Derendorf, Geisser, Drug Res., Vol. 46: 615-621, 1996). It is also known in the art to use, for parenteral application, iron dextran complexes as well as complexes based on pullulans (WO 02/46241), which are difficult to obtain and have to be produced under pressure at high temperatures and involving hydrogenating steps. Other iron carbohydrate complexes are also known for oral application.